cover letter template mba

MBA Cover Letter: How to Write One

Including mba cover letter samples.

Featured Expert: Srikanth Raghavan, MBA

An MBA cover letter can serve as the front page of your MBA application to top programs like the Wharton School of Business . An MBA cover letter is not always required, but it can be a good optional addition to your application, especially for programs which value professional experience such as Stanford business school . MBA cover letters have similar format, tone and content to cover letters written for job applications, but they are focused on you and your candidacy for an academic MBA program. A good MBA cover letter is a way to “pitch yourself” to an MBA admissions committee. In this blog, we’ll look at whether or not you need to write an MBA cover letter, how it can help your application and how to write one. We’ve also included some MBA cover letter samples as a guide.

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Article Contents 7 min read

Do you need an mba cover letter.

An MBA cover letter is a part of your MBA application package. An MBA cover letter, much like a cover letter for a job application, is a way to introduce yourself and your qualifications to the MBA admissions committee.

Depending on the school or program you’ve applied to, it may be a requirement, or it may be an optional addition to your application. Some programs will ask you for an MBA cover letter as a sort of introduction to your application, and it is the first document the admissions committee will read about you. For other schools, the MBA cover letter is asked for in lieu of an MBA statement of purpose or MBA personal statement essay.

If your school requires an MBA cover letter for the application, you will need to submit one at the front of your application. The admissions package will include instructions on formatting and word count, so be sure to follow these to the letter. It’s also important to check for any other requirements an write a different cover letter for each school you are applying to. If your chosen program does not stipulate that it requires an MBA cover letter, you can still submit one if you feel it will enhance your application or you can discuss it with an MBA admissions consulting service, which can help you put together a complete MBA application. For example, if you want to know how to get into Harvard Business School , a cover letter is not a requirement, but it can be a nice addition to your app and an example of your professional writing ability.

Simply put, an MBA cover letter is a formal introduction of who you are, what skills and strengths you will contribute to an MBA program, a demonstration of your knowledge of the chosen MBA program, and a way to grab the admissions committee’s interest. It’s a formal way of introducing your overall application and acts as a “cover page” of sorts so the admissions committee will know what to expect. It’s a summary of your experience and qualifications, only it focuses on a particular MBA program rather than a job position.

Some things an MBA cover letter can include are:

MBA cover letters, when used properly, are an excellent tool for MBA applicants to use. A cover letter is your formal introduction to the admission committee, but it also helps you to “pitch yourself” as a candidate, to speak in business terms. A cover letter helps to introduce and cement your position, or help set yourself apart, like an MBA diversity essay .

Lastly, a cover letter can be used to manage the expectations of the MBA admissions committee. This means if your GMAT score is below average, or there are gaps in your education you want to explain, you can get on top of these potential issues at the start of your application. You can offer an explanation in your cover letter, so whoever is first reading your application already has it when they encounter the information later in the application package.  ","label":"Managing expectations","title":"Managing expectations"}]" code="tab1" template="BlogArticle">

An MBA cover letter is typically no longer than one page, or between 200 and 400 words. Any longer and you risk losing the interest of your reader. Any shorter and you run the risk of saying too little about yourself. With an MBA cover letter, your aim is to be concise and precise.

Your cover letter also needs to be formal, professional and contain only relevant information and details. It’s a highly focused document, but you shouldn’t just repeat information from other parts of your application, such as the MBA resume . The MBA cover letter should expand on the cut and dry details of your resume and highlight the most important experiences you have. An MBA cover letter also has a more rigid structure than perhaps some other written sections of your application. It needs to include your information, the date, your contact’s information as well as a few paragraphs for the introduction, body and closing. It should also end with a formal thank you and salutation.

A typical cover letter template looks like this:

[Your Name]

[Your Address]

[Your Contact Information]

[Contact Name]

[Contact Title]

[School Address]

[Formal Greeting]

[Introduction Paragraph]

[Body Paragraph 1]

[Body Paragraph 2]

[Body Paragraph 3]

[Closing Paragraph]

[Sign off and thank you]

Below we’ve included a few samples of MBA cover letters to give you an idea of how to write your own. For the purposes of these samples, we’ve left out the date and contact information, leaving only the main body and closing of the cover letter. For more help with cover letters, you can also read BeMo’s physician cover letter examples.

MBA Cover Letter Sample #1

Dear Director Watson,

I am very interested in enrolling in [Business School] in the current admissions cycle. Your program is my top choice for my MBA, as I believe I have sufficient drive and the right qualifications to make me an ideal candidate for admission. I am a graduate of [University] where I studied Business Administration. My intention has always been to enter the world of business, and I chose to attend this program so I could gain foundational knowledge of how business works.

In my professional life, I followed suit. I began working while still in high school as a cashier for a grocery store. I found working very rewarding, even more so when I requested and was granted a transfer to the backend warehouse. After many years of working for this store, I was eventually promoted to assistant warehouse manager and I continued to work there during my undergraduate years. I gained firsthand experience in employee management and managerial accounting under the tutelage of my manager as well as my professors, and I soon became one of the top students in my class. I feel these experiences have prepared me for the next challenge and have piqued my interest in taking the next step and earning my MBA.

As a top business school, your program has a reputation for educational excellence in business administration, and I want to expand the knowledge I have and learn from the very best. I have taken it upon myself to enthusiastically read the works of Professor Kinsky and Professor Cranston for their understandings of employee management and management styles. I found their insights helped me to deeply reflect on my own managerial goals and management style. It would be a great pleasure to attend their courses.

I sincerely thank you for taking the time to consider me as a candidate for your program. I look to meeting you in person during admission interviews.

Kevin Ackerman

MBA Cover Letter Sample #2

Dear Dr. Smith,

I’m writing today to express my interest in enrolling in the MBA program at [Business School]. Last year, I graduated from [University] with a Bachelor’s in Environmental Sciences, and my intention is to continue my work in the non-profit sector. I believe a master’s in business administration from your program will allow me to increase my professional skills and the value I can create for non-profit organizations.

For the past five years, I have worked for [Non-profit organization], which works to keep natural park areas clean and well cared for. I started as a volunteer, offering my free time to help with event set up, clean up and informing our supporters about opportunities to pitch in. From a volunteer I gained a paid position as the assistant event coordinator and have now become to lead event coordinator and organization’s treasurer.

During my undergraduate degree, I especially enjoyed my courses in project management and financial management, as I learned valuable skills I could apply in my new position to help the organization grow. It is my intention to pursue an MBA so I can deepen my financial and management knowledge so I can continue to develop professionally in my current position and eventually seek employment with a larger non-profit organization. Your program’s emphasis on sculpting community-minded leaders is one of the primary reasons why I chose to apply. Your program’s values of honesty and integrity also resonate deeply with me.

My full CV is included with my application and includes a detailed list of my responsibilities in my current position. I would like to extend my thanks for reading this letter and my application. I look forward to enrolling at [Business School] soon.

Kind regards,

Alma Estevan

An MBA cover letter is a sort of “cover page” for your MBA application and is usually placed at the front of your application package. An academic cover letter serves the same purpose as a cover letter for a job application.

Some business schools will require the MBA cover letter and others won’t. It’s best to check out the admission requirements and application components for your school and make sure you follow the cover letter format and word count requested.

A typical MBA cover letter is between 200 and 400 words. It’s best to keep it concise, no longer than one page long.

An MBA cover letter usually includes an introduction of your candidacy, your professional experience, your strengths and skills, and your knowledge of the MBA program.

An MBA cover letter is a formal letter, and uses the same format as a cover letter you might write for a job application. It needs to include an introduction, body paragraphs and conclusion. It should also have your name and contact details, the date, a formal thank you and salutation. 

Yes; a cover letter is usually shorter and more formal than a statement of purpose. They serve similar functions, but a cover letter is more focused on your professional experience whereas a statement of purpose might look at your personal motivations, career goals and the “bigger picture”.

MBA admissions committees want to see professionalism in your cover letter, as well as convincing arguments. They want to know that you can follow instructions, that you’ve done your research and you know how to make your point.

A good MBA cover letter shows that you can pitch yourself. As a business professional, you’ll need to pitch your ideas, so think of the cover letter as a way of pitching your MBA candidacy and proving to the admissions committee that you have high potential as a business professional.

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The Full-Time MBA Cover Letter and Optional Statement

Mba cover letter.

The application cover letter is a critical means of learning who you are as an applicant and assessing your communication and writing skills. Here is the prompt to help guide you in writing the application cover letter:

Please write an application cover letter summarizing your aspirations, qualifications, personal and professional experiences that make you a strong candidate for the Texas Full-Time MBA program. (max 500)

MBA Optional Statement  

Please provide any additional information you believe is important or address any areas of concern that you believe will be beneficial to the MBA Admissions Committee in considering your application. (e.g. gaps in work experience, choice of recommender, academic performance, or extenuating personal circumstances) (250 words)  

Honestly, the most important piece of advice we can provide you on the optional statement is to remember that it is just that– optional. Only applicants who feel some of their profile deserves more explanation should submit an optional statement. This section of the application is not to designed for you to tell us more about your extracurricular activities or expand upon the essay prompt . While we love to see how excited you are to share additional information with us, there are other ways to let the Admissions Committee know about additional projects or passions. Your resume and the video assessment are better forums for these additional details. Optional statements should focus on filling gaps or answering questions we are likely to have about you.  

Our Tips for Writing Your Cover Letter

• Be patient with yourself. Take time to reflect, brainstorm, rewrite, and EDIT. It will likely take more than one draft to realize your final submission.
• Don’t copy and paste. Do not use the same content for multiple business schools. We can always spot recycled content.
• STAY ON PROMPT. We actually want your submission to be in cover letter form! Approach this as you would drafting a cover letter for a job – who are you, why do you want to come to McCombs, and how will you contribute to the program?
• Be honest. The cover letter is a way to learn more about you. Our community values authenticity and we look for submissions that reflect your authentic self.
• Have someone you trust read over your cover letter. Those closest to you can provide valuable insights, feedback, and perspectives as you highlight your personal gifts and qualities.

We hope these insights into the written portions of our application give you some ideas to think about and some points to revisit as you write (and rewrite) your cover letter. Good luck, and happy applying!

If you have any questions during the application process,  we’re here to help . Please visit  our website  for details on applying to each program and  follow us on Instagram  for an inside look into the Texas McCombs MBA.  

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Professional Mba Cover Letter Example for 2024

Read for inspiration or use it as a base to improve your own Mba cover letter. Just replace personal information, company application data and achievements with your own.

Cover Letter Guide

Make your mba cover letter stand out.

What’s the best thing about writing a Mba cover letter? You get to decide which parts of your experience need to be highlighted and which should better be skipped!

And what’s the thing that will make every hiring manager want to learn more about you? Mentioning the tools that have helped you overcome challenges and improve your skillset.

Let's look at our professional tips and examples that will help you write a memorable cover letter and land an interview.

Let’s begin by discussing the difference between a cover letter and a resume. The resume is the place where you should list all your hard skills, achievements, and talents.

The cover letter, on the other hand, is your chance to share more about yourself and show who you are.

But what’s the way to grab the reader’s attention? How can you make the hiring manager want to meet you and learn more about you?

Choose the right salutation and craft a strong introduction

It’s always better to address your cover letter to a specific person. This shows that you’ve taken the time to research who the hiring manager might be and that you’re attentive to detail.

However, in case you don’t know the recruiter’s name, you can go for traditional gender-neutral salutations.

Here are some of our suggestions:

• To the [team you're applying for] Department,
• Dear Paul Black,
• Dear Hiring Manager,
• Dear Ms. Stone

The introduction of your Mba cover letter is what will get you remembered. But how can you make sure that your opening line is good enough?

Rumor has it, many people out there have started using phrases like “I found your job advert on website X and decided to apply” ever more often. But more importantly – that recruiters are already getting tired of it.

So instead of saying what everyone else is saying, we advise you to go for a more honest approach. Begin your cover letter by explaining what excites you about the company and how this excitement will help you on your journey towards success.

Emphasize your Mba soft skills and mention your hard skills

Listing hard skills on your resume is quite straightforward, isn’t it? But when it comes to writing a memorable Mba cover letter, you need to be a bit more creative.

The thing is, cover letters are designed to tell a story. To show the thought process behind your achievements and motivations. To put the recruiter in your shoes and allow them to get to know you better.

Maybe you want to share how you deal with challenges? Or what helps you reach your goals? It doesn’t really matter.

And while soft skills are important, hard skills shouldn’t be skipped either. Mentioning some hard skills (especially the ones listed by the recruiter) is always a great idea. This will help you pass applicant tracking systems (ATS) that screen documents for certain keywords.

Show that you did your research before applying

Every recruiter wants to know whether you’ve decided to apply because you’re familiar with the company or because their job advert was the first thing you saw this morning.

So – show that you’ve researched the company and are aware of its strengths, weaknesses, and potential problems.

In addition, you can also share how your Mba skills can add value to the team.

End in an actionable way

Using the right words to end your Mba cover letter is essential for two reasons.

First, it supports the great first impression you’ve already made. Second, it’s a way to express your gratitude for the recruiter’s time and consideration.

The closing line you choose depends on your preferences and the company culture. If you want to be on the safe side, stick to more traditional phrases, such as “Looking forward to hearing from you” and “Thank you for your consideration”.

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MBA Cover Letter Example

Get the job you've always wanted and find inspiration for your own cover letter with this highly instructive MBA cover letter example. Download this cover letter sample for free or rewrite it using our sleek cover letter maker.

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MBA Cover Letter Example (Full Text Version)

Ravi Elvien

To whom it may concern,

My name is Ravi Elvien and I am pleased to be applying for the Digital Marketing Manager job within DF Corporation, Inc. in Toronto, ON as I believe that the combination of my previous experience, extensive field knowledge, and developed skills set makes me a perfect fit for the role. Moreover, I am confident that this job would be the opportunity of a lifetime for me to significantly grow both professionally and as a person.

First and foremost, I am the University of Toronto graduate with an MBA degree which serves as a great evidence of my industry expertise. At the university, I was not only among the students with the best GPA (3.98) but I also won the Dean's Award once for representing the institution at multiple international business and economics competitions. My studies have taught me how to function well in a team setting and allowed me to acquire excellent leadership and problem-solving skills.

Furthermore, I worked as a Social Media Account Manager at DIERNE, Inc. for 2 years. There, I spent most of my time producing original content for multiple social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube. In addition, I completed professional market research, stayed up-to-date with current trends, and worked on the constant improvement of web traffic. For meeting all assigned goals and objectives and increasing the number of followers on Instagram from 2,000 to 150,000, I have been awarded the Employee of the Year. Last but not least, I am a native German speaker with a proficiency in English and a basic knowledge of Chinese. Possessing the experience with all software programs necessary for the role, such as Photoshop, Illustrator, and HubSpot Marketing, I would appreciate the opportunity to meet come in for an interview.

Thank you for your time and consideration and I look forward to speaking with you in the near future.

Milan Šaržík, CPRW

Milan’s work-life has been centered around job search for the past three years. He is a Certified Professional Résumé Writer (CPRW™) as well as an active member of the Professional Association of Résumé Writers & Careers Coaches (PARWCC™). Milan holds a record for creating the most career document samples for our help center – until today, he has written more than 500 resumes and cover letters for positions across various industries. On top of that, Milan has completed studies at multiple well-known institutions, including Harvard University, University of Glasgow, and Frankfurt School of Finance and Management.

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Admissions roadmap.

Your MBA Applications Roadmap

MBA Cover Letter

A cover letter is often the first thing that an MBA admissions committee reads when they receive your application, so it’s important to make a good impression with it. Your cover letter should tie together all of the pieces of your application so the committee can get a sense of your overall qualifications for the program.

If there are any parts of your application that require an explanation, such as a gap in education or employment, this is your chance to let them know. Your cover letter should be brief and to-the-point, and leave the reader wanting to find out more about you from the other parts of your application.

A good cover letter won’t make up for a mediocre application packet, but it can get the reader on your side, looking for the positives in your application.

How Important is an MBA Cover Letter?

Each MBA program has its own requirements, and may or may not call for a cover letter. Some programs may ask you to answer essay questions or write a Statement of Purpose instead of or in addition to a cover letter. Always check your school’s admissions criteria to make sure your cover letter is the right length and style for your program.

For example, the Sloan School of Management at MIT asks for a cover letter of no more than 300 words in the form of “standard business correspondence.” It should have “one or more examples that illustrate why you meet the desired criteria” for the program. They also ask for a 1-minute Video Statement introducing yourself and explaining why you want to attend MIT. They don’t require a separate essay or Statement of Purpose.

The Hankamer School of Business at Baylor University doesn’t require a cover letter, but has guidelines if you choose to submit one. It should be no more than 1 page and should “include reasons why you are qualified for a place in the graduate degree program, how your participation will add value to the graduate degree program, or explain any other information useful to the admissions committee.”

Some schools in Europe have begun to require video essays instead of written cover letters, such as the SDA Bocconi School of Management. This allows the admissions team to recognize names and faces out of hundreds of applications.

So, how important your cover letter is depends on what other materials are requested. If your cover letter is the only space you have to introduce yourself, then use it wisely. This is especially important if you have an unusual resume or education that doesn’t fit neatly into the boxes of a typical MBA application.

But if your application includes one or more essays that already provide an overview of your resume and career goals, it may be less important. If your program doesn’t specify the criteria for a cover letter, then it’s best to keep it short and professional and let your resume and other materials provide the information the admissions team needs.

What They’ll Be Looking For

When the admissions committee reads your cover letter, they’ll be trying to get a sense of who you are as a candidate and if you’re likely to be a good fit for their program.

Think of it like the summary on the back of a book: you’ll need to read the whole book to get the whole story, but the summary lets you know what to expect and whether it’s likely to be a match for your interests and reading preferences.

Your cover letter serves a similar purpose. It gives the admissions team an idea of who you are, which is then expanded on by the other parts of your application. In a way, it’s about personalizing your application.

A good cover letter shows that you can follow directions and have done some research into the particular program you’re applying for. The admissions team wants to see that you understand what the program is about and what you can bring to it.

This is also your opportunity to manage expectations. If your GMAT score is lower than the school’s average, or you don’t have a lot of work experience yet, you can highlight other strengths that you bring to the table.

That way, when the team turns the page to your resume or test scores, they won’t be surprised by what they find, and are more likely to give you a fair assessment.

You can also use your cover letter to mention anyone who has agreed to write a Letter of Recommendation for you, so the admissions team knows what other documents to look forward to in your application packet.

Tips for Writing an MBA Cover Letter

The length and format of your letter will depend on what your program requires, but there are several tips that apply to all cover letters. If you’ve ever written a cover letter to apply for a job , then you should have a general idea of what a cover letter looks like.

A typical cover letter has 3-4 paragraphs and is written on standard letter-sized paper in 12-point font and with 1-inch margins. The letter should include the date and recipient’s address at the top left and your name and signature at the bottom.

Here are a few more tips that apply specifically to cover letters for MBA programs:

Write a unique cover letter for each program

Don’t use the same cover letter for every application. Show the admissions team why you want to attend this particular program . Some of the information you include will be the same for each school, but the letters shouldn’t be identical.

Highlight any experience on your resume that aligns with the school’s focus or values. If there’s a particular course or professor you’re interested in, mention it. Also make note of any other connections you have to the school, such as a visit to campus or conversation with a recent graduate that influenced your decision to apply.

Address the letter to the right person

Avoid starting off your letter with a generic “To Whom It May Concern.” If the application instructions don’t say who to address the letter to, then look up the name of the Dean of Admissions or another faculty member who is likely to read your application.

Your letter should be more formal than an email. Addressing the letter properly shows that you understand the conventions of professional business correspondence. It may seem simple, but it’s an easy way for the admissions team to tell a serious candidate from someone who just put a cover letter together at the last minute.

Don’t forget to introduce yourself

Your cover letter should get the admissions team interested in you as a candidate, but it shouldn’t leave them guessing. Remember, this is your introduction, so let them know a bit about who you are and your work and educational background.

Instead of vague statements like “as you’ll see from the work experience on my resume,” mention your “5 years of employment in the financial services industry.” Specific names and numbers are more likely to get the reader’s attention.

Biographical details, such as your country of origin or the time that you spent studying abroad, are also useful to present a well-rounded picture.

Advocate for yourself (and back it up)

The cover letter is an opportunity to sell yourself as a qualified applicant, and that means explaining any inconsistencies in your application. Did you change your course of study in the middle of your degree? Did you take a year off of work to volunteer overseas?

Gaps or inconsistencies in your resume may make perfect sense once you explain them. Ideally, you’ll have a strong Letter of Recommendation to back up your claims. A shift in your career path or education may make more sense if you have a supervisor who is able to vouch for your abilities and on-the-job work experience.

That said, don’t exaggerate or make things up. A clever cover letter won’t get you into an MBA program if you don’t meet the minimum admission requirements.

MBA Cover Letter Example

Let’s take a look at an example to see what a standard cover letter should look like. This letter was submitted as part of an application for an MBA at West Coast University. The letter is only around 150 words in all, making it a very clear and concise example.

The letter starts off with a standard greeting “To Members of the Admissions Committee”. You can address your letter to an individual if you know the name of the Dean, but this is an effective introduction and is more specific than “To Whom It May Concern”.

Next, the applicant clearly states the purpose of the letter and goes on to reference a personal connection to the school in the form of an alumni interview. The information includes a specific name and date if the admissions committee wants to verify it.

“This letter expresses my interest in applying for admission to the School of Management’s Fall 2003 MBA Program. On December 21, 2002, I had the pleasure of interviewing with your alumnus, Mr. Stephen Meeker, a meeting that solidified my decision.”

Then, the applicant mentions what it is about the program that they’re drawn to. They show the research that they’ve done and highlight some of the program’s features:

“After comprehensive research into your program, I was pleased with your educational policies and the culturally diverse environment in which I can learn much from both professors and students of many nations.”

This paragraph is short, and could include a little bit more information on the specific focus of study or likely career path, but it gets the job done.

Next, they bring up their resume as evidence of their qualifications. Without going into too much detail up front, they mention a few skills and experiences that the admissions team can look out for in other sections of the application:

The enclosed resume provides my inclusive and accomplished background, including:

Seven years of experience in international banking.

Strong quantitative and analytical skills.

Fluency and solid communication capabilities in English, French, and Italian.

Inspirational leadership in a cross-cultural environment in France and Italy.

While they don’t mention much about their educational background, their skill in three different languages is likely to make them stand out from other applicants.

Finally, they go on to mention future steps they will take to further their investment in the program, including an upcoming visit to campus. They provide contact info so that they can easily be reached for the next step in the application process:

“I will be visiting West Coast University during the second week of February to audit classes and interact with the students. Should you require additional information, I can be reached at the number above.”

This is a relatively short cover letter, but it includes all of the important information in a clear and straightforward way. The applicant could have offered more details on their education, for example, but chose to highlight their overseas experience instead.

In general, a cover letter is less detailed than a personal essay or Statement of Purpose, so it’s best to stick to a single page and 3-4 paragraphs. If your program asks for a longer letter or a personal essay, you can go into more detail about your current employment or career goals, but don’t repeat the same info too many times in your application.

If you’re asked to submit a video introduction instead, you can cover the same points in your video as you would in your cover letter. Your video should appear casual and less formal than a cover letter, but it’s a good idea to make some notes and rehearse it a few times to make sure you don’t forget to include anything.

A cover letter isn’t the most in-depth part of your application, but it lets the admissions team know what to expect from you. Just like the preface to a book, it can set the tone of your application and influence whether the admissions team looks at the rest of your documents with a hopeful or a skeptical eye.

A good cover letter will help the admissions team see a real person, not just a resume and a GMAT score, when they consider your application.

If you’re not sure what to say in your cover letter, don’t worry. Whether your MBA program requires a standard cover letter, a personal essay, or a video, we can help you figure it out. We’ll make sure that you’re clear on the application requirements and submit the right type of cover letter for your program to increase your chances of success.

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07 Professional MBA Cover Letter Samples [Free]

A well-crafted cover letter is a critical component of any job application. The cover letter allows you to introduce yourself to a potential employer, and provides an opportunity to highlight your most relevant qualifications and experience. When applying for an MBA program, it’s important to take the time to create a customized cover letter that specifically addresses the needs of the institution. In today’s blog post, we’ll provide some tips on how to write an effective MBA cover letter. Stay tuned!

Table of Contents

How To Write MBA Cover Letter?

When it comes to applying for an MBA program, your cover letter is just as important as your resume. In fact, many admissions committees place equal weight on both the cover letter and resume when making their decisions. Therefore, it’s essential that you take the time to craft a well-written and effective cover letter.

Here are some tips to help you write a strong MBA cover letter:

• Start by introducing yourself

In your cover letter, you should start by introducing yourself and briefly explaining why you are interested in pursuing an MBA. Be sure to mention your specific program of interest and how it aligns with your career goals.

• Highlight your key qualifications

In the body of your cover letter, you should highlight your key qualifications that make you a strong candidate for the MBA program. Be sure to touch on both your academic achievements as well as your professional experience.

• Explain why you’re a good fit for the program

In addition to highlighting your qualifications, you should also take the time to explain why you’re a good fit for the specific MBA program to which you’re applying. What qualities do you have that would make you a valuable addition to the student body?

• Conclude with a call to action

Finally, be sure to conclude your cover letter with a strong call to action. Invite the admissions committee to contact you to discuss your application further. Thank them for their time and consideration.

By following these tips, you can write a strong MBA cover letter that will help you stand out from the rest of the applicants.

Related: How To Write a Cover Letter (And Get Hired in 2022!)

Cover Letter For MBA Freshers

Writing to apply for the position of MBA Fresher at your company. It is a recent graduate of the XYZ School of Business and I believe that I have the skills and qualifications that you are looking for.

It is a hard worker with a strong academic record. Have excellent communication and interpersonal skills. I am also proficient in Microsoft Office applications. I am confident that I can be a valuable asset to your company and I look forward to the opportunity to contribute to your success.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Related: 133+ Unique Career Objective for MBA Freshers ideas & Examples

MIT MBA Cover Letter

I am writing in regards to your recent posting for an MBA candidate. As a recent graduate of the MIT Sloan School of Management, I believe that I would be the perfect candidate for your opening.

My coursework at Sloan covered a wide range of business-related topics, giving me a well-rounded understanding of the field as a whole. In addition, I gained valuable experience in teamwork and leadership through my involvement in various extracurricular activities. I the confident that these skills would be beneficial in an MBA program, and would allow me to contribute to the team at your company.

Believe that my combination of academic excellence and real-world experience makes me the ideal candidate for your MBA program. I am eager to put my skills to work in a challenging and stimulating environment and believe that your company would provide me with the perfect opportunity to do so.

Thank you for your time and consideration, and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Related: Sales Cover Letter: 07 Samples & Examples

MIT Cover Letter MBA Example

To Whom It May Concern,

I am writing in regards to the opening for an MBA at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). I am immensely excited about the opportunity to attend such a prestigious institution and firmly believe that I have the skills and qualifications needed to be a successful student.

Through my work experience in investment banking, I have developed strong analytical and problem-solving skills that I believe will serve me well in an MBA program. My experience has also given me a keen understanding of the financial markets and how businesses operate. The confident that I can contribute to classroom discussions and offer valuable insights to my fellow students.

To eager to apply my skills and knowledge in an academic setting and believe that an MBA from MIT will prepare me for a successful career in business. I look forward to discussing my qualifications further with you and thank you for your consideration.

Related: Generic Cover Letter: 09 Samples & Examples

Cover Letter For MBA Application

Writing in regards to my application for an MBA program at your esteemed university. I have attached my resume and transcripts for your review and consideration.

Believe that I am an excellent candidate for the program due to my academic record as well as my professional experience. In terms of academics, I have consistently achieved excellent grades and have been involved in various extracurricular activities. I have also been actively involved in my community, volunteering for various organizations. As for my professional experience, I have worked in different industries and have gained a wealth of knowledge and skills.

I am confident that I can be an asset to your university and would be grateful for the opportunity to attend your MBA program. I look forward to hearing from you.

Related: 107+ Catchy Career Objective for MBA Marketing Fresher Ideas

5 Things To Include MBA Cover Letter

When you are applying for an MBA program, your cover letter is one of the most important pieces of your application. Here are 5 things to make sure you include in your MBA cover letter:

• Explain why you are interested in the program. What are your long-term career goals and how will this program help you achieve them?
• Highlight your relevant experience and skills. What experiences do you have that will make you a successful student and future business leader?
• Demonstrate your commitment to the program. How have you prepared for the rigors of an MBA program and what makes you confident that you will succeed?
• Be specific about your interest in the school. Why have you chosen this particular MBA program and what do you think sets it apart from other programs?
• Convey your enthusiasm for the opportunity. Describe how excited you are about beginning your studies and how much you look forward to contributing to the program.

Related: What is Cover Letter? Complete Guide To Get any Job.

I hope you find our tips helpful as you craft your own MBA cover letter. Remember, it’s important to be specific about your skills and experience, and to tailor your letter to the position you are applying for. If you follow our advice and take the time to personalize your letter, we have no doubt that you will make a great impression on any admissions committee. Best of luck!

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Cover Letter

A good cover letter is a critical tool for use in pursuing career goals.

To create an effective cover letter, the Career Resource Center (CRC) offers an online cover letter writing guide, digital workshop, templates and samples.

Read an informational guide on cover letter preparation  based on the feedback we have received from recruiters over the years.

Our best advice: follow the format guidelines, but make the letter your own. Customize it for each and every position.

Once you read the guide above, use the appropriate cover letter template link below to guide the formatting of your letter:

(Note: Each of the template styles above corresponds to a similarly styled résumé template for BS students , MBA students and MS students )

Cover Letter Workshop

Do you have trouble writing cover letters, thank you letters or email messages to potential employers? This CRC workshop presents guidelines to write effective job search correspondences that are clear and concise. Incorporate these valuable tips into your job search correspondence.

• Digital Workshop: Cover Letter

Also refer to the CRC Cover Letter Guide .

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MIT Sloan Cover Letter Advice: Maximizing 300 Words

If you’re working towards submitting a Round 2 application to MIT Sloan’s MBA Program , you’ve likely given thought to what you want to express in the required 300-word Cover Letter (or, ideally, have already started working on it). Perhaps the trickiest thing about this unique application component is the word limit, which is incredibly short and forces you to have a laser focus on the elements of your personality / experience that demonstrate your fit with Sloan’s culture. 

What MIT Sloan Asks for in Its Cover Letter

For reference, here is the prompt they provide:

“MIT Sloan seeks students whose personal characteristics demonstrate that they will make the most of the incredible opportunities at MIT, both academic and non-academic. We are on a quest to find those whose presence will enhance the experience of other students. We seek thoughtful leaders with exceptional intellectual abilities and the drive and determination to put their stamp on the world. We welcome people who are independent, authentic, and fearlessly creative — true doers. We want people who can redefine solutions to conventional problems, and strive to preempt unconventional dilemmas with cutting-edge ideas. We demand integrity and respect passion.

Taking the above into consideration, please submit a cover letter seeking a place in the MIT Sloan MBA Program. Your letter should conform to a standard business correspondence, include one or more examples that illustrate why you meet the desired criteria above, and be addressed to the Assistant Deans of Admissions, Rod Garcia and Dawna Levenson (300 words or fewer, excluding address and salutation).”

How to Write the Best MIT Sloan Cover Letter

Pay close attention to the language of this prompt because it helpfully describes the qualities Sloan seeks in a successful applicant. Many of these are similar to those sought by all of the top MBA programs – intellectual strength, track record of accomplishments, and ability to bring dimension to the cohort. However, the critical things to note here are those that make Sloan different – its orientation towards an independent mindset and creative problem-solving. They don’t just want someone who ‘got the job done’, they want the person who redefined the problem and came up with a solution no one had thought of before. 

With only 300 words at your disposal, you simply don’t have space to separately demonstrate you possess each of the more basic traits. For these, utilize the other components of the application – your GMAT/GPA can help prove your intellect, your resume showcases your history of accomplishments, and your video essay should highlight what makes you unique. In the cover letter, make a solid case – supported by one or maybe two stories – that you are an innovative thinker who isn’t afraid of rocking the boat to enable progress. The ideal story to use is career-focused (given the tone of the prompt), fairly recent, and has a connecting thread with how you will contribute at Sloan if admitted.

That said, you do need to use this vehicle to provide a higher-level ‘pitch’ of yourself to the adcom. A structure I’ve seen be consistently successful is one that is three paragraphs, maybe four. In the first paragraph, without simply restating your resume, you can lay out the differentiating or notable experience you bring to the table. In the second paragraph (or perhaps two paragraphs if needed), dive into a story that supports this ‘brand’ and hits on the Sloan-specific qualities mentioned above. In the last paragraph, drive the argument home by asserting why these qualities will make you an asset to the Sloan community.  

A Successful Sample MIT Sloan Cover Letter

To demonstrate this structure in practice, here is an example from a past client (privatized, of course):

“Dear Mr. Garcia,

Through my role at [consulting firm], and my experience driving positive change in my community first as a student mentor and now as a founder of a [mentoring program], I know that I will be able to make a significant contribution to Sloan. This is rooted in my experiences learning to manage increasingly larger teams, leading projects in eight countries and enhancing both the product offerings of my company and traditional mentoring frameworks.

As a self-described quantitative person who went from a trading career out of college to working in consulting and rising to manage my firm’s [industry-focused] practice, I’ve had the opportunity to learn not only how to leverage data to drive business strategy but also how to manage and collaborate with people with different backgrounds. For example, after seeing a need to extend our product offering to include capabilities in emerging technologies, I proactively led a three-person team to create a research product that provided clients with capability maturity assessments in three areas: digital, data analytics, and cloud. To action this, I worked with [firm] experts and our existing clients to build a framework, scope and go-to-market strategy for the new products. To date, we have delivered research to over 30 clients, supported four […] cases with data and hosted two roundtables that brought together heads of technology from over 20 firms to discuss the findings.

I am confident that the breadth of my experience will allow me to succeed at Sloan while also bringing a unique perspective to the school. The opportunity to be involved in innovation periods and the Entrepreneurship & Innovation Track will provide the skills needed to transition into a bank’s innovation team and ultimately create a FinTech firm.

Respectfully,

[name redacted]”

We hope that these tips help you get your Sloan application across the finish line! If not, we’d be happy to help. Reach out to schedule a free consultation . 

Katie is a passionate mentor and coach, helping her clients craft a unique, compelling story by leveraging her experience as a corporate executive, alumni interviewer, and campus recruiter. Before completing her MBA at Kellogg, Katie spent five years in banking where she learned practical finance skills as well as how to operate in a demanding, high pressure environment. She pursued an MBA in order to transition to an industry role where she could utilize her finance knowledge to drive change within an organization. Post-MBA, she worked in finance and strategy for a leading CPG firm, progressing to an executive role leading the finance function for a $2B business segment. Her experience managing diverse teams led to a passion for developing others. In addition to her day-to-day responsibilities, she led her firm’s MBA recruiting efforts and served as an alumni admissions interviewer for Kellogg.

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How To Write A Memorable MBA Letter Of Intent

Introduction.

When you’ve had your interview at the business school of your dreams and are waiting to receive an offer of admission, you may want to go the extra mile to show the school just how seriously you want to enter their MBA program. This scenario is when a letter of intent will come in handy.

An MBA letter of intent is a short letter sent to the school you would most like to attend. It demonstrates your commitment to that specific program over all others and can persuade the admissions committee to accept you. This article will break down everything you need to know about how to write a memorable MBA letter of intent, including tips for success and mistakes to avoid.

What is an MBA Letter of Intent?

An MBA letter of intent is a short letter, typically one page in length, addressed to the head of the admissions committee at the business school you would most like to attend. The letter of intent expresses your desire to attend that specific school and affirms your desire to participate in the program, should you be accepted. 

Letters of intent are not required, but it is a good idea to send one if you have a dream school you want to attend since it can improve your chances of being accepted. If you wish to send a letter of intent, it should be written and sent after you have been interviewed and visited the campus.

Purpose of the MBA Letter of Intent

The purpose of the letter of intent is to communicate to the admissions that you will attend the school if you are accepted. This letter shows how serious you are about this particular MBA program and your commitment to the school. Because of this, a letter of intent can help you stand out from the other applicants, which will help improve your chance of being accepted.

Since you are promising to enroll if you are admitted, it is unethical for you to send multiple letters of intent to receive multiple offers of admission. You cannot attend more than one MBA program, so promising to participate in numerous programs will result in you having to break all but one of the promises you made in your letters of intent.

Business school admissions aren’t made in individual silos — admissions committee members have connections to various other programs. If word gets out that you sent multiple letters of intent, it will reflect poorly on your character and may result in you being rejected instead of accepted.

If you know which school is your #1 choice after completing your interview and campus visit, you should send a letter of intent to express your desire to attend the school.

Many business schools are open to receiving letters of intent as it allows them to better calculate how many of the students who receive admissions offers will end up matriculating to the school. Having a higher yield rate allows schools to understand better how many new students they will have and plan accordingly and increase their competitiveness.

Although letters of intent can benefit admissions committees, not all schools are open to receiving these letters. If your top choice makes it clear they do not want to receive letters of intent, do not send one; it can negatively impact your chances of being accepted.

Step-by-Step Guide on Writing an MBA Letter of Intent

Like the MBA cover letter, the MBA letter of intent is a formal document that needs to be written in a professional manner that adheres to standard business practices in form and tone. You will want to include enough information about yourself to jog the committee’s memory and connect this letter to other components of your application. You will also need to include additional information about why this school is your top choice and how you came to this decision to add value to your application. You can follow along with this guide as you are composing your letter of intent.

Step 1: Format your letter. ‍

Begin writing your letter by addressing the format requirements. This will include setting your page margins to one inch all around, changing the line spacing to suit the school’s requirements, selecting a standard font (Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri), and sizing the font 10 to 12. Format requirements will vary by school, so you must adhere to the provisions specified on the school’s website.

You should also set up your header at this time. This consists of your full first and last name and your contact information.

Step 2: Include the date you will send your letter and the recipient’s name.

Leave one line of blank space between your personal information and the dateline. The dateline should reflect the date you will send your letter and be written out in full (April 28, 20XX) instead of a short form (Apr. 28, 20XX nor 04/28/XX). Writing the date out in full will look more professional compared to using a short form.

Then, leave one line of blank space between the dateline and the recipient’s information. The recipient is the head of the admissions committee, and their full first and last name should be written on this line along with their title. Make sure you spell their name correctly!

Traditionally, prefixes like Mr., Ms., Mrs., and Dr. have been used to address recipients. However, you should no longer assume the preferred prefix, especially if it is someone you have not met personally and whose preferred prefix is unknown.

It can be harmful to your application to address the head of the admissions committee incorrectly. It’s best not to include a prefix and simply use the individual’s full name in the address line, unless you know with absolute certainty the prefix they prefer.

Step 3: Include a salutation.

Following the date and address lines, you will again leave one line of blank space before writing your salutation. The salutation is a formal greeting that signals the beginning of your letter; the salutations “dear” and “greetings” are likely the most common example you’ve come across.   Whichever salutation you choose to use, capitalize the first letter and follow the salutation with the first and last name of the recipient. You will then include a comma or a colon following the recipient’s name and leave a line of blank space separating the salutation line from the opening paragraph of your letter.

Step 4: Reintroduce yourself and state the purpose of the letter.

The first paragraph of your letter is where you will reintroduce yourself. Beginning with stating your name and the specific program you applied to is an excellent way to jog your reader’s memory. It’s also a good idea to include the month when you had your interview and mention who conducted your interview. At the end of the paragraph, you will then state that this school is your top choice, which will lead to the explanation in the following section. This introductory paragraph will only be two or three sentences long, so don’t stress if it looks small on the page. 

Step 5: Explain how you decided this is your top program and school.

The second paragraph will outline why this is the school you want to attend over all the other schools who interviewed you. This can include how this school’s MBA program will help you reach your professional goals, what draws you to the program and school, or a positive connection you’ve made with a faculty member, current student, or alumni.

The exact information you provide in this paragraph will depend on your motivation to attend this school and the most significant factors that have influenced your decision. As such, this section will be deeply personal, so your genuineness and personality must shine through.

The third paragraph is where you can provide the admissions committee with relevant updates on your life and career. Suppose you have taken on a new role in either your current organization or volunteer activity, or have recently completed a significant project at work. In that case, this final body paragraph is where you can provide this information. Any conferences you’ve attended or professional development courses you’ve taken, as well as any new certifications that are relevant to the admissions committee, can also be mentioned in this paragraph.

Step 6: Conclude your letter.

The last paragraph of your letter of intent will provide a summary of what you’ve outlined in the body of the letter. You’ll restate your intention to attend the school and what you’ll bring to the school, while also outlining how the school will set you on the path to achieving your goals outlined earlier in the letter. Like the opening paragraph, this will probably only be two or maybe three sentences long, so don’t worry that this part of the letter is short.

Step 7: Sign off.

After your conclusion, you’ll leave one line of space and then write your complimentary close. This is a formal and polite way to end professional correspondence, and likely something you already do when sending business letters and emails. The most common complimentary closes are “thank you,” “sincerely,” and “yours truly,” and these are all suitable options to use in your letter of intent. Complimentary closes such as “warm regards” and “best wishes” are increasingly common in professional spaces, but are less formal than those already listed. Hence, you should opt to use “thank you,” “yours truly,” or “sincerely.”

Next, you’ll leave a line of space before putting in your first and last name as they appeared on your application documents. To add an extra professional touch to your letter, you may wish to insert your signature above your typed name digitally. You can do this through electronic programs or by writing your signature on a blank sheet of paper, taking a picture of it, and uploading it into your document.

Following your full name on a separate line, you should include your application number. This will make it easier for the committee to add it to your file, especially if submitted through email or traditional mail.

Top Tips for Writing an MBA Letter of Intent

Successful letters of intent have some critical things in common, which are outlined in the following list. Incorporating these characteristics of stellar letters of intent will improve your letter immensely and improve your chances of receiving an offer of admission to the school of your dreams:

1. Demonstrate your research of the school and its MBA program.

‍ You won’t have much space to do this, but you should relate a few distinctive traits of the program to how you came to your decision.

2. Check the requirements set out by the school regarding letters of intent.

‍ This way, you know exactly what you have to do from the beginning and you can format your letter according to the specified requirements.

3. Provide relevant information

‍ in your letter that doesn’t just restate what you’ve already said in your resume , essay , letters of recommendation , other application documents, and interview. Though there should be enough about yourself, so the admissions committee remembers you, your letter should go one step further than simply restating old information. Make it worth their time by providing them with some new insight into your aspirations and how this MBA program will help get you there.

4. Showcase your personality and motivation through the language you use in your letter of intent.

You want to communicate your genuine interest, so it’s essential to keep your passion for your preferred school in mind when discussing what influenced your decision to apply there. However, this should also be balanced with professionalism and formality, as a letter that is too informal and friendly may not appeal to the admissions committee.

5. Proofread your letter before you send it.

A letter of intent is a powerful and persuasive document, but you don’t want a letter with typos in it to deter the admissions committee from admitting you.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Although there is a lot you have control over to make your letter of intent impress the admissions committee, there are some common errors that could compromise the persuasiveness of your letter. The good news is that these standard errors are easy to avoid, especially if you know of the pitfalls to watch out for. Here are some common mistakes to avoid while writing your MBA letter of intent:

1. Sending multiple letters of intent.

‍ As outlined earlier, this is an unethical practice and should be avoided as it could cost you considerably. Please do not do it.

2. Overloading your letter with things the admissions committee already knows about you.

You have limited space to communicate your intention to attend the school if accepted, so don’t use too much of that space restating why you belong in the program. The focus of your letter should be why you have decided to commit to the school.

3. Not following the school’s instructions regarding letters of intent.

This includes not following length, format, and submission requirements and sending a letter of intent when the school has clearly stated they do not want to receive letters of intent. These easily avoidable mistakes will jeopardize your application.

4. Addressing it to the wrong person or addressing the right person incorrectly.

‍ Making a mistake in this part of your letter is also off-putting to the admissions committee and will not demonstrate that you’ve heavily researched the school and its MBA program.

5. Sending a letter of intent with grammatical, punctual, or syntactical errors.

Every correspondence you have with the admissions committee will leave an impression. You don’t want to come so close to receiving an offer only to send a letter of intent containing errors that remove your application from the top of the pile.

MBA Letter of Intent Example

Here is an example of a letter of intent written by our team at Inspira . You can follow along with this sample of the body of a letter of intent while you write your own letter. As you will see, the sample is divided into sections, which will make it effortless for you to identify the various areas of this type of letter.

You’ll notice in this example that we opted to use “dear” as our salutation at the start of the article and a classic “thank you” as the complimentary close ahead of the signature. The opening paragraph clearly outlines the applicant’s intention to attend the school if accepted before transitioning into the rationale behind this decision.

In this example, relevant updates were tied into the reason for wanting to attend this school. Setting up the information in this way allows for a story, which provides a more engaging reading experience for the admissions committee. It also ties into the school’s focus and what is emphasized in their mission and values.

There are also some spots where you would fill in the information pertaining to your specific situation. You’ll fill in the recipient name, the name of the school and specific program, the names of anyone from the school to whom you’ve spoken, and your name at the end. You may also wish to add your applicant I.D. following your signature to make it easier for the admissions committee to track down your application.

1. When should I send a letter of intent?

Letters of intent are most commonly sent after your interview with your top choice of business school and when you have completed most of your other business school interviews. By waiting until after your interviews, you will be more sure that your top choice is still your favorite school. It is a good idea to visit all the schools where you were invited to an interview before sending a letter of intent. You want to make sure you like the school’s atmosphere before committing to it.

It is also acceptable to send a letter of intent after being placed on the waitlist for your top school. This may increase the likelihood of the school sending you an offer of admission if other admitted students choose not to accept their offers.

It’s important to note that business schools are significantly more open to receiving letters of intent closer to the end of the admissions cycle. A letter of intent sent at the end of the interview season demonstrates your genuine interest in that school and that you have taken time to research schools in order to make an informed decision regarding your academic and professional future.

With this in mind, it’s essential not to send your letter too soon after your interview or being waitlisted. Sending it too soon after either scenario may come across as desperate instead of serious, which will not make the admissions committee more likely to accept you.

2. If I already have a top choice of school, can I send a letter of intent before I’ve had my interview?

This is not a good idea for two reasons. First, your interview will allow you to gauge whether you can genuinely see yourself being a part of the MBA program at a particular business school. A business school can seem great when you’re reading its website or social media feeds, but you won’t necessarily know if it’s a good fit for you personally until you go to the campus, take a tour, and speak to people already there.

This includes the admissions committee member conducting your interview. If you send a letter of intent before realizing you’ve actually visited the school and are accepted, there’s a risk you will be stuck having to break your promise to attend or end up going to a school that isn’t the right fit for you.

If you send your letter of intent prior to your interview, there’s also a risk of your letter not being received well. As outlined above, a letter sent too early can come across as desperate, as opposed to the genuine interest you’re expressing, which won’t make the admissions committee more inclined to admit you. The admissions committee may also feel it is presumptive to send a letter of intent before they’ve even invited you to an interview, so overall it’s best to wait until after your interview and campus visit to send a letter of intent.

3. How should I send my letter of intent — by email or through the postal service?

Each school will have a preferred method of receiving letters of intent, so you should check the school’s website for specific instructions. Some schools will have a section in the application portal where you can upload a letter of intent, while others may prefer to receive a physical copy through the mail. Emailed letters of intent are also becoming more common, so with all these different possibilities, it’s best to check the school for their letter of intent requirements. 

4. Should I send a letter of intent if I am waitlisted?

Yes, you should absolutely send a letter of intent if you are placed on the waitlist. Demonstrating your desire to attend that school despite being waitlisted will show the admissions committee that you are committed to their MBA program and may make them more inclined to admit you if spots open up.

However, you shouldn’t send a letter of intent immediately after finding out you’ve been waitlisted. As mentioned earlier, it will come across as desperate, and that’s not the way you want to be perceived.

5. To whom should my letter be addressed — the entire admissions committee, one committee member, or the school itself?

You should address your letter of intent to the head of the admissions committee. If you formed a meaningful connection with one of your interviewers, it is also acceptable to include them in your letter of intent.

6. What is an appropriate amount of detail to provide in the letter of intent? Should I restate everything that makes me a good fit for the program, or only highlight a few things?

Your letter of intent should include why you’re committing to the school and what led you to make this decision. It should also provide any relevant updates for the admissions committee since your interview. The admissions committee has already gained significant insight into your academic and professional accomplishments and potential throughout the application process, so it’s unnecessary to restate everything that makes you the right fit for the program. Any aspects you choose to highlight should be done in conjunction with the rationale for your intention to attend the school.

The MBA letter of intent has the power to tilt the scales in your favor and convince an admissions committee to offer you a place at their school, which makes it critical that your letter is well-written. Your letter should provide meaningful insight into why you decided to commit to this school and not simply restate information already offered throughout the application cycle. It also needs to be clear that this is a letter of intent, so in the first paragraph, you will need to mention that you intend to go to this school should you be offered admission.

Finally, you must proofread or have an expert review your letter before sending it to ensure it’s error-free.

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Key Elements of Effective Resumes and Cover Letters

Elements of effective resumes.

• Usually 1-2 pages in length.
• Main sections typically include Header, Summary or Profile, Experience, Education, Additional
• Use reverse chronological order with current experience first. Alumni will probably want to list experience before education.
• While dates should flow and career progression should be logically displayed, don’t get caught up in trying to describe your every move and decision — save those details for conversations and interviews!
• Strive to show impact. Use bullets to show results and outcomes, instead of simply describing your overall responsibilities and tasks. Readers want to see evidence of how your work has made an impact, so keep bullets tight and focused on data-driven results as much as possible. Bullets that are too dense or contain too much “background information” likely will not be read.
• Focus on action-orientation. Using a variety of strong action words — implemented, drove, led, collaborated, etc. — draws the reader’s attention while displaying breadth and depth of your skills and competencies.

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Properly formatted and tailored resumes and cover letters are critical components of the internship or job search process for MBA students. Well-crafted documents highlight relevant skills and experiences, demonstrate alignment to function and industry of interest, and communicate the unique value you will bring to the role. Review the guides, templates, and tips below to form strong drafts in advance of polishing your materials with your career coach.

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MIT Sloan MBA Essay Examples

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MIT Sloan MBA Cover Letter Samples

MIT Sloan currently requires all applicants to submit a cover letter, org chart, and video essay with their application. The MIT Sloan cover letter format has been used for many years to select candidates. In some ways, this structure reflects MIT Sloan’s goal to admit candidates with practical (though innovative) ideas and experience. Also, the cover letter is a way to describe your key accomplishments and use them to prove that you embody the outlined criteria for admission. Those criteria are: independent, authentic, and fearlessly creative — true doers.

Successful Examples of MIT MBA Cover Letters

SBC has a former MIT Sloan Admissions Officer and several additional MIT Sloan experts on our team. We know the nuances of applying to MIT Sloan successfully.

Here’s a snapshot of the caliber of expertise on our SBC team .

HBS Admissions Board at Harvard Business School HBS MBA

HBS Admissions Board at Harvard Business School Kellogg MBA

Director HBS Admissions at Harvard Business School MBA, the Wharton School

HBS Admissions Board at Harvard Business School

Director HBS Admissions at Harvard Business School HBS MBA

Admissions Officer at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB) MBA, Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB)

Asst Director MBA Admissions at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB) Director MBA Admissions at Berkeley’s Haas School of Business

MBA, Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB) Minority Admissions, the GSB Diversity Programs, the GSB

Associate Director MBA Admissions at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania

Associate Director MBA Admissions and Marketing at the Wharton MBA’s Lauder Institute

Director, the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania Professional Writer

Assistant Director MBA Admissions at Columbia Business School (CBS) NYU Admissions

Assistant Director MBA Admissions at Columbia Business School (CBS) M.S.Ed, Higher Education, U of Pennsylvania

Associate Director MBA Admissions at Columbia Business School (CBS)

Ashley is a former MBA Admissions Board Member for Harvard Business School (HBS), where she interviewed and evaluated thousands of business school applicants for over a six year tenure.  Ashley  holds an MBA from HBS. During her HBS years,  Ashley  was the Sports Editor for the Harbus and a member of the B-School Blades Ice Hockey Team. After HBS, she worked in Marketing at the Gillette Company on Male and Female shaving ...

Kerry is a former member of the Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS). During her 5+ year tenure at HBS, she read and evaluated hundreds of applications and interviewed MBA candidates from a wide range of backgrounds across the globe. She also led marketing and outreach efforts focused on increasing diversity and inclusion, ran the Summer Venture in Management Program (SVMP), and launched the 2+2 Program during her time in Admissions. Kerry holds a B.A. from Bates College and  ...

A former associate director of admissions at Harvard Business School, Pauline served on the HBS MBA Admissions Board full-time for four years. She evaluated and interviewed HBS applicants, both on-campus and globally.  Pauline's career has included sales and marketing management roles with Coca-Cola, Gillette, Procter & Gamble, and IBM.  For over 10 years, Pauline has expertly guided MBA applicants, and her clients h ...

Geri is a former member of the Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS).  In her 7 year tenure in HBS Admissions, she read and evaluated hundreds of applications and interviewed MBA candidates from a diverse set of academic, geographic, and employment backgrounds.  Geri also traveled globally representing the school at outreach events in order to raise awareness for women and international students.  In additio ...

Laura comes from the MBA Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS) and is an HBS MBA alumnus. In her HBS Admissions role, she evaluated and interviewed hundreds of business school candidates, including internationals, women, military and other applicant pools, for five years.  Prior to her time as a student at HBS, Laura began her career in advertising and marketing in Chicago at Leo Burnett where she worked on th ...

Andrea served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at Harvard Business School (HBS) for over five years.  In this role, she provided strategic direction for student yield-management activities and also served as a full member of the admissions committee. In 2007, Andrea launched the new 2+2 Program at Harvard Business School – a program targeted at college junior applicants to Harvard Business School.  Andrea has also served as a Career Coach for Harvard Business School for both cu ...

Jennifer served as Admissions Officer at the Stanford (GSB) for five years. She holds an MBA from Stanford (GSB) and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Jennifer has over 15 years experience in guiding applicants through the increasingly competitive admissions process into top MBA programs. Having read thousands and thousands of essays and applications while at Stanford (GSB) Admiss ...

Erin served in key roles in MBA Admissions--as Director at Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley and Assistant Director at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB). Erin served on the admissions committee at each school and has read thousands of applications in her career. At Haas, she served for seven years in roles that encompassed evaluation, outreach, and diversity and inclusion. During her tenure in Admissions at GSB, she was responsible for candidate evaluation, applicant outreach, ...

Susie comes from the Admissions Office of the Stanford Graduate School of Business where she reviewed and evaluated hundreds of prospective students’ applications.  She holds an MBA from Stanford’s GSB and a BA from Stanford in Economics. Prior to advising MBA applicants, Susie held a variety of roles over a 15-year period in capital markets, finance, and real estate, including as partner in one of the nation’s most innovative finance and real estate investment organizations. In that r ...

Dione holds an MBA degree from Stanford Business School (GSB) and a BA degree from Stanford University, where she double majored in Economics and Communication with concentrations in journalism and sociology. Dione has served as an Admissions reader and member of the Minority Admissions Advisory Committee at Stanford.   Dione is an accomplished and respected advocate and thought leader on education and diversity. She is ...

Anthony served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he dedicated over 10 years of expertise. During his time as a Wharton Admissions Officer, he read and reviewed thousands of applications and helped bring in a class of 800+ students a year.   Anthony has traveled both domestically and internationally to recruit a ...

Meghan served as the Associate Director of Admissions and Marketing at the Wharton MBA’s Lauder Institute, a joint degree program combining the Wharton MBA with an MA in International Studies. In her role on the Wharton MBA admissions committee, Meghan advised domestic and international applicants; conducted interviews and information sessions domestically and overseas in Asia, Central and South America, and Europe; and evaluated applicants for admission to the program. Meghan also managed ...

Amy comes from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania where she was Associate Director. Amy devoted 12 years at the Wharton School, working closely with MBA students and supporting the admissions team.  During her tenure at Wharton, Amy served as a trusted adviser to prospective applicants as well as admitted and matriculated students.  She conducted admissions chats with applicants early in the admissions ...

Ally brings six years of admissions experience to the SBC team, most recently as an Assistant Director of Admission for the full-time MBA program at Columbia Business School (CBS).  During her time at Columbia, Ally was responsible for reviewing applications, planning recruitment events, and interviewing candidates for both the full-time MBA program and the Executive MBA program. She traveled both internationally and dome ...

Erin has over seven years of experience working across major institutions, including University of Pennsylvania, Columbia Business School, and NYU's Stern School of Business. At Columbia Business School, Erin was an Assistant Director of Admissions where she evaluated applications for both the full time and executive MBA programs, sat on the admissions and merit scholarship committees and advised applicants on which program might be the best fit for them based on their work experience and pro ...

Emma comes from the MBA Admissions Office at Columbia Business School (CBS), where she was Associate Director.  Emma conducted dozens of interviews each cycle for the MBA and EMBA programs, as well as coordinating the alumni ambassador interview program. She read and evaluated hundreds of applications each cycle, delivered information sessions to audiences across the globe, and advised countless waitlisted applicants.

Mr. XXX & Ms. YYY

Assistant Deans of Admissions

MIT Sloan School of Management

50 Memorial Drive

Cambridge, MA 02142

Dear Mr. XXX and Ms. YYY:

It is with great enthusiasm that I submit my application for MIT Sloan’s MBA Class of XXXX. After working in education with XXX and spending three years in legal business development at an international law firm, I am excited to share my experiences and perspectives and contribute meaningfully to the Sloan community.

Studying biology taught me that the world is a laboratory and that I can apply the scientific method to unconventional challenges in business. My firm recently implemented new software to integrate several existing databases to improve our experience management and is currently beginning a multi-year integration. I made a case to my department’s director to be a pilot user and was invited to join a multi-department and cross-office team to develop an implementation plan. My analytical background helped me identify bugs and propose solutions, while my business development experience allowed me to connect technical features to practical implications. After negotiating with key stakeholders, I am now working to implement an automated pitch generation tool that has the potential to fundamentally change how our business development office functions and will help us adapt to the rapidly evolving legal market. This experience and other collaborative projects at my firm have helped develop my business and management skills, and I am eager to develop them further at Sloan and apply them to the education sector to help make quality education more accessible. At Sloan, I am interested in exploring the intersection of education, finance and policy through research in the Golub Center for Finance and Policy. Through classes such as the A-LAB or G-LAB action learning courses, I could apply that research to real-world problems while strengthening my analytical and entrepreneurial skillset.

I look forward to sharing my talents and experiences with the Sloan community, and thank you for your consideration.

[Address Line 1]

[Address Line 2]

Dr. XXX, Executive Director

MIT Leaders for Global Management

1 Amherst St., E40-315

Dear Dr. XXX,

At age eight, I tried building the fastest Pinewood Derby-Car by installing a model rocket engine on the car-body. After breaking our neighbor’s window during testing, I learned three lessons about problem solving and life—don’t think like others, it’s okay to fail and integrity matters (I owned up). In the two decades since, I’ve grown and leaned on these values to succeed in leadership roles across in the Army.

I recently applied this mentality leading an Army program innovating human performance training. With an ambiguous goal of improving performance under pressure, I focused my team of leaders on restructuring cognitive, physical and social development. First, I implemented new behavioral assessments to build leader self-awareness and a new goal setting model to focus soldiers. From there, I integrated a cognitive psychologist and bio-sensors into operations—physical training, weapons proficiency and maneuver under stress. Finally, I incorporated augmented reality and a sensor-enabled drone into operational planning. I initially struggled tracking and presenting data, but quickly adjusted to highlight the potential of bio-sensors and augmented-reality. After four months, our weapons sections—a critical Company asset—certified as #1 of 16 in combat certifications and the concept was selected by strategic leaders for assessment in the 2020 Army Warfare Experiment.

I’ve always been asked why I became an Infantry Officer after excelling in electrical engineering; the Cyber branch of the Army seems more natural. My desire to join the LGO community is rooted in this Infantry/EE dichotomy—I always appreciated both the people-centric challenge of leadership and the technical underpinnings that drive our digital world. At LGO, I will grow in both domains and focus on how bio-sensors and augmented reality shape the human-machine interaction. While I may never design another rocket car, I bring this curiosity to LGO and throughout life.

Dear Mr. XXX,

As the daughter of a boutique owner, I grew up in retail, which sparked my passion for the industry and inspired my career. While working at Boston-based [company] and in my current role as a management consultant, I have gained extensive knowledge of the retail industry while also bolstering my analytical, leadership and teamwork skills. At [firm], I led a team of executive clients and 5 peer level consultants to establish a cost management function within a fortune 500 retailer. We trained 30 clients in strategic negotiation and supplier management while implementing new processes. This effort resulted in a new department that drives 4-7% margin improvements quarterly. I have also sought opportunities beyond my everyday engagements. I am the most junior member of a team developing perspectives on “next generation retail”. We’ve published our initial findings and are working to commercialize creative approaches that enable customer experiences in stores. Additionally, I have led several community building initiatives including undergraduate recruiting, learning and development for summer interns, and our Women’s Network mentorship program.

Beyond my technical passion for leading teams and collaborating to find innovative solutions, I care deeply about connecting with people. I am the person who puts their phone down to chat with everyone from the Starbucks barista to my Uber driver because every interaction provides a learning that enhances my comprehension of people, the world and how I will change it for the better.

At Sloan, I want to continue my leadership development, invigorate my entrepreneurialism and connect with driven classmates. I am confident that the Sloan experience will allow me to achieve my long-term goal of launching a company at the intersection of retail and sustainability, and I would be honored to bring my passion and skills to the MIT community.

Thank you for your consideration.

I am extremely interested in applying for admission to MIT Sloan’s MBA Program, intending to start during Fall 2017. I believe that my solid professional experience, including a consistent track record of high performance, coupled with the desire to immerse myself in a community of learning, collaboration and professional development make me a great fit for the program.

As a Technology Consultant, I have been in a project in Central America for almost two years. The original proposal was to only be there for three months, in a mostly traditional Analyst role where I would be doing support work for the more experienced practitioners. However, I seized the unlikeliest of opportunities: I teamed up with two other Analysts who also had no experience with the Warehouse Management tool that was being implemented and together learned everything we could about it. After a few weeks, we developed a working model and presented it to both the local business and global headquarters. The prototype was so successful that we were tasked with configuring the full-scale solution that was eventually rolled out, to great success, in four Central American countries and will be used as a template for future global implementations.

I believe this experience highlights the key traits that MIT Sloan looks for in applicants, including innovativeness, drive, teamwork, and impact. I consider that not only will I greatly benefit from everything the program has to offer, but I can collaborate for the betterment of the Sloan community.

Sincerely, XXX

I’m an optimistic realist with a passion for fixing things. In my first year as an engineer in [XX] Leadership Development Rotational Program, I co-developed a method for eliminating material misprocessing within our factories. My colleague and I designed [XX]’s Linux-Operated Optical Character Recognition (OCR) Kit, which offers the accuracy of industry OCR systems at five percent of the cost.

I’m honored to be the first [XX] engineer to win two Engineering Innovation Convention awards within the same year. I’m currently in Germany, leading the development of a new barcode reader that will save TI $360,000. This fall, I’ll lead a company-wide initiative focused on improving efficiency across all of our manufacturing sites.

As an engineer, I’m naturally curious, and learning from others is one of my favorite parts of my job. For many of my coworkers, I’m the first out LGBTQ+ individual that they’ve known. Through openness and mutual respect, I’ve led teams – consisting of mostly middle-aged men from Texas – in several successful projects, resulting in an early promotion. When I return to Dallas, I’ll assume a supervisory role in which I’ll manage 35 engineering technicians.

I want to generate solutions to environmental problems. At Sloan, I’ll pursue the Sustainability Certificate to gain a deeper understanding of the environmental and social impacts of industry. Additionally, I look forward to developing further as an innovator through offerings such as the Sloan Innovation Period and hands-on Action Learning Labs. When I attended an AMA event during my visit, I was moved by the humility and curiosity of the student body. Sloan’s values, commitment to innovation, and focus on experiential learning make me confident that it’s the school for me. I appreciate your consideration, and look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely, YYY

SBC’s star-studded consultant team is unparalleled. Our clients benefit from current intelligence that we receive from the former MBA Admissions Officers from Wharton, Columbia CBS and every elite business program in the US and Europe.  These MBA Admissions Officers have chosen to work exclusively with SBC.

Just two of the many superstars on the SBC team: Meet Anthony , who served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he dedicated over 10 years of expertise.

Meet Erin , who has over seven years of experience working across major institutions, including University of Pennsylvania, Columbia Business School, and NYU’s Stern School of Business.

Tap into this inside knowledge for your MBA applications by requesting a consultation .

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Cover Letters, Etc.

Throughout your job search you will communicate in writing with employers, recruiters and networking contacts, so your letters and emails are an important part of marketing yourself.

Cover letters

Composing a cover letter can feel daunting. Attack the letter-writing process step-by-step to make the effort more manageable.

Do you have to include a cover letter when applying for jobs? Generally, yes. Even if an employer does not explicitly request a cover letter, include one. There might be situations it isn’t is not needed, such as when handing out resumes at a career fair or when a colleague is personally referring your resume to a contact.

A cover letter offers an additional and different way to present your sales pitch. It reinforces your brand you portray in your resume. And since it’s personal and customized to a specific role and company, it more specifically shows how you think, write and present a business case than a resume can

Your primary purpose is to immediately inspire the reader to thoroughly review your resume. Present key information that compels the reader to contact you for an interview.The letter should ensure they do not miss the key highlights of your background for the specific role and company, and make the connection between their job opening and your resume. In other words, the cover letter creates the case for why your candidacy should be given serious consideration.

Because you are writing to a  employer for a specific opening, customize your letter to the job ad. Carefully review the ad to identify the key criteria that are sought and address them directly.

If there are a few key criteria that you do not meet exactly, consider whether you could substitute something you’ve done that demonstrates the basic underlying skill or which represents a very similar kind of experience.

The #1 secret to better letters

To make the best impression and to present a compelling message, be clear, to the point and well organized. No amount of fancy wording can overcome a poorly constructed message.

Craft a simple outline. Carefully review the list of points you want to include and eliminate redundancies. Reorganize remaining items, listing the most important points first. Revisit the items at the bottom of your list. You might find some weaker items don’t need to be included. Then and, only then, start writing!

By organizing your thoughts in this way, you’ll ensure you are:

• Responding to the employer’s top criteria
• Putting your best ideas first
• Keeping the letter tight and focused by eliminating repetition
• Creating a smoother, well-flowing message

Good letters follow a specific but simple structure that will make it easier for you effectively present your message and for the reader to follow and understand it.

The 3 basic parts of a cover letter

There are three key sections, each with its own purpose.

• Intro/opening: Its main purpose is to introduce you and what job you are applying for. It is brief but important.For maximum impact, start building your case immediately. It can be helpful to share how you learned about their opening. This can be particularly meaningful if someone personally referred you. And don’t be afraid to mention specific people. This is not superficial name-dropping; it helps make the connection between you and the organization and puts your application and interest into context.Use your relevant skills and experience as the backdrop for your interest. So, instead of  “I’m writing to you today to express my interest in the Senior Financial Analyst” role, you might write, “As an MBA with solid experience in using analytical, research, and forecasting skills in the investment industry, I am writing to express my strong interest in the Senior Financial Analyst role.”
• Body: Present your case for being seriously considered for the role. Address the employer’s needs directly. Analyze the job ad to identify key issues and address them.While you can include a few additional points that you feel are beneficial, avoid generalities that bear little or no relation to their needs.Review your resume carefully to determine which aspects of your background you can call out to make your case. Do not recreate your resume in the letter. Instead, call out its highlights so the reader doesn’t miss them and makes connection between your strengths and their needs.
• Closing: Your closing words play a critical role. Thank the reader for their consideration and reinforce the main points of your letter. You could add a few items that round out your value add, such as skills, credentials or personality traits.End with an action item, stating what you will do next to follow up or what you hope the reader will do next. You might write that you will call to see if there is mutual interest in an interview or to offer additional information. If you don’t have the contact information needed to follow up by phone, mention your strong interest in an interview.

Letter formatting

Word/PDF formatted letter or Email?

Most communications today are electronic, but you still might want to create cover letters and other correspondence in Word or PDF formats and use them as attachments to an email or to upload into a website. The advantage of these formats is the letter will look more attractive, traditional and professional, particularly if the recipient prints the letter at some point.

• Copy the stylized name and contact information from your resume to create a matching letterhead for your correpsondecne
• Include the date of the letter a few lines under your letterhead.
• Use triple space between the date and the recipient’s address. Include the person’s name, title, company and mailing address.
• Address your letter to the appropriate person if possible. If not, alternative greetings might be: Dear HR Manager, Dear Hiring Manager, Dear Sir/Madam. Since all of these generic greetings are a bit impersonal, however, some people eliminate the greeting and start with the first paragraph.
• Address the recipient by their last name: Dear Mr. Chang, Dear Ms. Walker, Dear Dr. Gomez. If you are already well-acquainted with them, you can use their first name. If the person’s gender is not obvious, do research online or by calling the company to inquire. If you can’t locate that, you can use Dear Pat Miller or Dear Mr./Ms. Miller.
• Traditional business-letter format uses a colon at the end of the greeting. Only personal letters use a comma.
• Side margins should be equal and the letter should be roughly centered from top to bottom.
• Single space paragraphs; double space between them.
• Double space between the last paragraph and your closing, such as Sincerely or Best regards.
• Leave space for your signature if sending a hard copy or using an electronic signature. Use triple space between the closing and your name. For electronic versions of your letter that cannot be signed, use double space.

Job-search emails are acceptable in many situations. To determine which format to use, consider the recipient’s industry, function and style. For example, a professional at a tech company might expect virtually all written communications to be conveyed by email.

• It’s fine to use traditional email formatting. You don’t need to insert a letterhead into the email itself.
• You don’t need the inside or recipient’s address since the most relevant contact information will be in the email’s header.
• Keep the subject line concise but descriptive: “Applicant for Marketing Manager Opening” or “Referred by Sanjay Gupta for Director of Supply Chain.”
• Use simple formatting to ensure the message is easily readable regardless of the device the recipient is using. In other words, avoid two-columned or other complex formats for the letter.
• Though compelling information will likely keep the recipient reading, keep email correspondence concise to avoid the need for lots of scrolling.
• Since there is no letterhead, include additional contact information under your name at the end of the letter. This might include your full address and a link to your LinkedIn profile; be sure to include your phone number.

Better letter writing

As with your resume, the quality of your job-search correspondence can make or break your search. All correspondence, whether networking emails or cover, thank you, and accept/decline letters should:

• Be personalized and unique to each individual or company. Never send form or generic letters or emails. If you don’t show enough interest to take the time to write a customized letter, why should the reader be interested in you?
• Clearly and quickly state your message. Take time to organize, conceptualize and organize your message.
• Be concise and to the point. Use descriptive words that enrich your message, but eliminate those that don’t add value Keep the letter to one page.
• Convey your professionalism and strong communication skills. Avoid informal styles and slang. Even a fairly informal email to a well-known contact could forwarded to someone in a position to hire you.
• Present your message in your voice to convey your unique message regarding this unique opportunity. Don’t rely  on sample letters; use them only to stimulate your thinking.
• Include ext steps you will take or that you are requesting or suggesting the reader take
• Be addressed to a specific person, ideally, not a title or department. If the name is not readily available, do research via the Internet, LinkedIn, personal networking or by calling the company.
• Be error free in terms of grammar, spelling and punctuation. Don’t let a typo undermine all of your other good efforts!
• Separate “what” you want to say from “how” you will say it. Thinking that your writing needs to be flawless from the start is a sure way to get writer’s block. First, get the message right. Later, polish it through careful editing.
• Write like you speak – be yourself! Often, the clearest, quickest way to get your message across is to use everyday language. That doesn’t mean that you can’t use sophisticated concept, but avoid trying to sound so impressive that your writing becomes convoluted and stiff.
• Stick to one main idea per paragraph. When you switch ideas, start a new paragraph.
• Introduce the central thought of the paragraph in the opening sentence. This grabs the reader’s attention, engaging them in that central message.
• Use transitions to connect your thoughts: in addition, also, however, for example.
• Use jargon judiciously. Use enough jargon to sound like an insider but not enough that other readers, like HR staff, will be left in the dark.
• Don’t expect to be able to write strong letters right out of the gate. Editing your letter is a critical step in ensuring your message is market-ready.
• Simplify your message to amplify it! Remember, the cover letter is not trying to get you a job. It just needs to whet the reader’s interest in thoroughly reading your resume.
• Read it aloud or ask someone to read it to you. Your ear will catch awkward phrasing, repetitive wording and grammar errors that your eye might not catch. If you run out of breath, the sentence is too long. Long sentences can confuse the reader at worst, and lose their interest.
• Proofread carefully – errors are simply not an option. Reading is not proofreading. Proofreading is slow and meticulous. And realize that you can’t delegate perfection – you need to proofread it yourself, too.

Thank-you letters

Sending a thank-you letter, note or email to follow up after an interview is a best practice. Many people neglect to provide this professional courtesy, so you will often stand out in a positive way and might tip the scales in your favor.

The purpose of the thank-you note is, of course, to thank the people who interviewed you for their time and consideration of your candidacy. But it also provides a great vehicle to reiterate key points: how interested you are in the job and how well-qualified you are for it.

It doesn’t take a lot of time or space to get those two points across. You could write them in one or two sentences. Of course, your thank-you note will not be quite that brief, but typically it will be concise and much shorter than your cover letter.

• Personalize your message by thanking them for something specific: perhaps a discussion of the company’s future goals, a review of departmental priorities, a tour of the facility or a copy of the company’s annual reports. This will add an element of authenticity to your note.
• If you had particularly positive impressions of the company, team and responsibilities, mention them to convey your sincere enthusiasm.
• Reiterate your key selling points and their fit to the position and company.
• If you neglected to mention something important in the interview or feel you could presented information more strongly, you you could briefly mention it it in the letter.
• Include follow-up information requested by the interviewer.

Responding to offers

After receiving a job offer and verbally accepting,  request the offer in writing. This might include a form for you to sign and return to indicate your acceptance. Writing a letter of acceptance is a best practice, too.

Use the same care that went into your cover letter – a professional, polished and positive acceptance letter reinforce in the employer’s mind that they made the right choice!  You will want to:

• Clearly indicate acceptance.
• Restate terms of employment: title, salary and start date.
• Convey eagerness and excitement in your own voice.
• Mention next interaction, if appropriate.
• Avoid overly detailed logistical questions, which are better handled in follow-up conversations and emails.

The vast majority of people don’t think to send a letter when they  turn down an offer. While it is not required,  not sending one could leave a very unflattering impression with the company, which could be important in the future. When writing letters to decline an offer:

• Express appreciation for the offer.
• Offer any sincere positive feedback about the opportunity.
• Provide a very brief, to-the-point rationale. Don’t get into too much detail. You won’t want to risk disparaging their offer, job or company, nor open the door to a debate. Keep the tone positive and professional; avoid sounding overly apologetic. This is a business deal you have decided not to pursue, not a personal rejection.

Even rarer than a letter declining a job offer is a letter thanking the employer after you are turned down for the job. But writing a brief note thanking the employer for their time and for letting you know the outcome will often appear so professional and gracious that it will stand out in a powerful way.

Thank them for the time and effort they invested in interviewing you. You can, of course, mention your disappointment. You can even mention that your disappointment is based on your sense that there truly was a great fit between your credentials and their job. But do not question or debate their decision.

A nice touch is to wish them the best with their selection while simultaneously mentioning your continued interest in their organization and your hope that they keep you in mind should suitable future openings arise. And they probably will!

Related Resources

• Cover Letters 2.0 (Video)
• Cover Letter Samples (PDF)

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Consulting cover letter guide (for McKinsey, BCG, Bain, etc.)

Today we’re going to explain everything you need to know about writing consulting cover letters.

We’ll start by reviewing an example cover letter that got interview invitations from ALL the MBB firms (McKinsey, BCG, and Bain). 

And then we’ll explain exactly how you should write your own cover letter to land consulting interviews. Here’s a full list of the topics in this guide:

• Example cover letter

How to write your consulting cover letter

Consulting cover letter tips.

• The skills consulting firms look for

Consulting cover letter screening process

• Get help with your cover letter

Let’s get to it! 

Click here for a consulting letter/resume review with an ex-MBB consultant

Example cover letter (which got interviews at mckinsey, bcg, and bain).

Below is an anonymised cover letter from a candidate who got interviews at McKinsey, BCG and Bain. So you can trust that this template works.

The image here highlights the different sections of the cover letter, but we’ll dive deeper into the text later, and you can also get a downloadable copy below.

Free download of the consulting cover letter example, here. 

In the next section, we’ll go step-by-step through each part of the cover letter and explain how to go about writing it. But before we dive in, please note the following points about the above template:

• A lot of people use this template. Get inspiration from it, but every sentence in your letter should be written from scratch.
• This cover letter might sound impressive. It's one of the best ones we’ve seen. But even if you have not achieved as much as this person, you can still get an interview.

With that said, let’s dig into the cover letter writing process!

As a starting point, this video provides a nice overview of the full writing process for a consulting cover letter. 

Now let’s break things down further.

1. Introduction

Example - Introduction

Mary Taylor - [email protected]

DD / MM / YYYY

Dear Sir / Madam,

I would like to apply for an Associate position at McKinsey in London.

This section is a formality. It should simply state the following information:

• Your name and email address. You can replace your email address with a postal address although those are not commonly used anymore.
• The date on which you are sending your letter
• The position, company, and office to which you are applying

Keep it short and sweet.

2. Why you? 

Example - Why you?

I started working as an Analyst at Big Finance in New York in September 2020 and was quickly promoted to Associate in a year and a half instead of the average four years. While at Big Finance, I advised a broad range of clients who constantly gave me positive feedback and regularly asked to work with me again. Before joining Big Finance, I graduated as the top student of my MEng in Chemical Engineering at Prestigious University in the UK. While studying, I received two competitive scholarships and awards. In addition, I developed my leadership skills as the President of the Prestigious University Consulting Club. High energy was essential to lead a team of 5 managing the club and growing the number of members by 20%.

This is your "GOLD MEDALS" section. It is the first section of your cover letter and therefore the most important one.

It should state the TOP 3 achievements of your life to date that are relevant to consulting. These achievements should be as unique and as memorable as possible. When your reviewer reads them they should think "Wow, that's impressive. I want to know more about this person."

To write this section you need to step back and ask yourself "What are the most impressive things I've done with my life so far?" This is not an easy question to answer. 

In our experience discussing this with a close friend can help. It's sometimes easier for them to quickly point out the impressive things you have done as they are an external observer.

In addition, notice how achievements are QUANTIFIED in the example above. Saying you have been promoted "in a year and a half instead of the average four years" is much more powerful than saying you have been promoted "quickly." You should quantify your achievements whenever possible.

This section is your chance to grab the reader's attention. If there's nothing impressive in it, they will stop reading and just scan the paragraphs. So don't miss your opportunity!

3. Why consulting?

Example - Why consulting?

There are several reasons why I want to pursue a consulting career. To start with, I know I will enjoy being a strategy consultant because I have already worked in a strategy team in the past. This was in summer 2019 when I was a Strategy Intern at Big Grocery Retailer in London. In addition, I think consulting is a unique opportunity to comprehensively learn about business management by working on a variety of company situations. Over the past two years, I have started building my business skills while advising clients on financial matters at Big Finance. I now look forward to learning more about companies’ management at McKinsey. Finally, I want to work in consulting because I truly enjoy interacting with clients. Throughout my work experiences I have built a successful track record of developing and maintaining relationships with clients including, for instance, the senior strategy team at Big Grocery Retailer.

Once you have convinced your reviewer that you have impressive achievements under your belt they'll be thinking: "Ok, this person is impressive. But do they REALLY want to be a consultant? Or are they just applying because they're not sure what to do with their career."

The third section of your letter should therefore answer the  "Why consulting?" question . But here is the thing about this question: There are some reasons to go into consulting that you should tell your reviewer about. And some reasons that you should really keep to yourself.

For instance, one of the mistakes candidates commonly make in their cover letter is to write something along the lines of "I'd like to spend 2 or 3 years in consulting to learn more about business in general and then decide what I want to do." This is a HUGE mistake. 

Consulting firms want to hire FUTURE PARTNERS. Not employees who will stay for a couple of years. You can watch the video below for more details about this.

The best approach for your "Why consulting?" section is to write about past experiences that really show you know what you are getting into. The perfect situation is if you have done an internship in consulting or in corporate strategy and have enjoyed it. If that's the case, this is the perfect section to write about it.

But even if you haven't done related internships, there are plenty of angles you can use to connect your past experiences to what you will do as a consultant. For instance:

• You might have enjoyed working with clients when you were in M&A or in Sales
• You might have enjoyed structuring and solving tough problems as an engineer

You should use these experiences to say that "working with clients" or "solving tough problems" is something you KNOW you enjoy doing; and you look forward to spending more time doing this as a consultant.

When they read this section, your reviewer should think: "Ok, this person is impressive AND they know what they are getting into."

4. Why McKinsey / BCG / Bain / Other?

Example - Why McKinsey?

McKinsey appeals to me for three reasons. To start with, the different people from the company I have met and worked with all told me they had truly enjoyed their time there. For the past two years, I have worked for Michael Smith, a former Engagement Manager from the London office, who now works for Big Finance. Additionally, I regularly read McKinsey’s reports on financial services and think the insights delivered by Sarah James and others in the Finance practice are truly superior to that of other consultancies. By joining McKinsey, I therefore think I would have an opportunity to work with and learn from the best consultants in the industry. Finally, the fact that McKinsey was selected by Finance Supercorp to shape its digital strategy also played an important role in my decision to apply. This was a first-of-its-kind contract in finance and it shows that while at McKinsey I could get the opportunity to work on truly unique projects.

If you have managed to convince your reviewer that you have an impressive background and that you really want to be a consultant, you have a VERY HIGH chance of getting an interview. 

The only question that's left for you to answer is: " Why McKinsey  / Why BCG? / Why Bain? "

Top consulting firms  have a lot in common. In most regions, they cover the same industries and work for similar clients. They also pay similar salaries, and the career path is more or less the same from firm to firm. So what should you write about in this section?

In our experience, the most efficient way to set yourself apart in this section is to write about three specific elements:

When you write "I've met with Michael Smith," or "I've read report X," or "I've heard about project Y," you are making an argument that's SPECIFIC enough for your reviewer to think: "Ok they've done their homework."

If you stay too GENERIC, your argument will be much less credible. For instance, writing something like "While at McKinsey, I'll be exposed to a broad range of industries which I'm excited about" is a weak argument because you could swap McKinsey for BCG or Bain in that sentence.

In fact, this is the ultimate test. If you can swap McKinsey with another name in your "Why McKinsey?" section you are not being specific enough. You need to work on your paragraph again and mention SPECIFIC people, reports, or projects that you find interesting.

5. Conclusion

Example - Conclusion

For all these reasons, I am very enthusiastic about the chance to work at McKinsey. I am available for an interview at any time and look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,

Mary Taylor

The last section of the cover letter is a formality again. It should include the following elements:

• A sentence or two saying that you are enthusiastic and available for interviews at any time
• Your final signature

So how do you make it easy for your reviewer to put your cover letter on the "Accept" pile? We have put together the 10 tips below to make sure you can achieve this and avoid common mistakes.

Tip #1 Don't use a template letter

Writing cover letters is painful. But trust us, reading hundreds of them can be at least as painful. That's why you should make every effort to make your letter interesting and genuine. 

It's ok to get inspiration from templates such as the one we provide in this guide. But every sentence in your letter should be written from scratch.

Tip #2 Keep it to one page

One of the unwritten rules of consulting cover letters is that they should not be longer than one page. The trick to achieve this is to only select the MOST RELEVANT experiences from your  resume  and to summarise them. 

The points you decide to highlight should clearly demonstrate that you would make a great consultant.

Tip #3 Standard format and font

It's tempting to use an eye-catching font and format. But that's actually a bad idea. You only risk your interviewer thinking: "I've never seen this font, it looks really weird. Who is this person?" Your cover letter should stand out because of its content, NOT because of its format.

Tip #4 Not the time to be shy

Your cover letter is not the time to be shy. If you went to Harvard and have three Olympic medals, now is the time to say it! Most of us don't, and that's fine. But the point is that you should really push yourself to bring your most impressive accomplishments forward.

Tip #5 Network, network, network

This might sound surprising, but a big part of the cover letter is  how much networking you have done . Having networked with people from the firm you are applying for pays dividends for multiple reasons. 

First, they might recommend you to the HR team. But most importantly, these people will give you insight into what makes their firm UNIQUE. Then you can quote what you've heard in your cover letter (and name drop the person you heard it from) to show that you really understand the firm you are applying for.

Tip #6 Read, read, read

Unfortunately, networking is not always easy or possible. In these cases, your second best option is to read as much as you can on the firms you are applying for. You should read about the firm's projects, reports, and partners and find pieces of information you are really interested in. 

For instance, if you did your master thesis on electric vehicles, try to find who works in this area at the firm and what they have to say about it. And then mention what you have found in your cover letter.

Tip #7 One letter per firm

One question we often get is: "Should I write one letter per firm?" The answer is YES. But it's not as hard as it might sound. 

Every cover letter needs to answer three questions: Why you? Why consulting? And why this firm? The only paragraph you will need to change in every letter is the one about "Why this firm?" For each firm, you will have to do the networking and reading mentioned above.

Tip #8 Start writing early

Writing an outstanding cover letter is VERY HARD. Most candidates underestimate how much time it takes and start this process too late. You'll need to take a step back and reflect on everything you have done to date to highlight your most relevant experiences. 

This takes multiple iterations. Start early.

Tip #9 Get feedback

In our experience, great candidates all look for feedback and iterate on their cover letter until it's truly as good as it can get. It's a lot of work, but it's worth it.

It’s best to get feedback from peers or consultants. These people will be able to point out which parts of your letter they don't get or don't find impactful enough. If you’d like to have an expert review your cover letter, check out our team of  ex-consultant coaches .

Tip #10 Proofread multiple times

Finally, you should check and double check your letter for typos and grammar mistakes - multiple times. A cover letter is (not so secretly) a writing test and you should really treat it like one.

What consulting firms look for

To get multiple interviews at  top consulting firms , it’s extremely important to understand what those firms are actually looking for. 

The good news is that most of the leading consultancies are looking for basically the same skills. 

To illustrate this point, here’s what  McKinsey  and  Bain  say that they’re looking for in candidates, along with our own translation of what they mean:

There are also a few unofficial items that consulting firms will look for on your resume, and you can read about those in our  consulting resume guide .

Next, let’s talk about the typical cover letter screening process.

Screening process

Now let's talk about HOW your cover letter will be handled once you send it. Here's how it works.

Your application will be sent to a JUNIOR CONSULTANT who recently graduated from your University. They will score your documents based on a grid provided by the HR team. 

Consultants usually have to score 200 to 400 applications in about 2 weeks. And this is sometimes on TOP of their normal project. It's not uncommon for them to leave the job to the last minute and to have to do it on a Friday night just before the deadline.

Why is this important? The point we are trying to make is your application is part of 100 other applications. And the person who will review it will be tired by the time they get to your cover letter. If they don't understand something, they won't Google it. It's your job to make their job easy.

Why consultancies ask for a cover letter

There are two main reasons why consulting firms ask for cover letters.

First, partners bill several thousand dollars per day to their clients. The opportunity cost of interviewing you is HUGE for the firm. Put yourself in the shoes of a consultancy for a second. What are the top 3 questions you want to answer before investing money in interviewing a candidate?

• Have they demonstrated the skills needed to be a consultant?
• Do they know what consulting is and what they are getting into?
• Are they genuinely interested in working for our firm?

If you don't answer these three questions in a structured and impactful way, your chances of getting past the screening process are very low. This is why every cover letter should be structured as follows:

• Why consulting?
• Why this firm?

The second reason consulting firms ask for a cover letter is to test your writing skills. Consultants write all the time: emails, PowerPoints, Word documents, etc. They spend about 50% of their day writing. And a lot of the time their job is to summarise very large quantities of information in a succinct way.

This is exactly what you have to do in your cover letter. You have to a) look back on all your past experiences, b) select the relevant experiences to convince the reviewer that you are the right person for the job and c) summarise all these experiences in a way that's easy to read and digest.

Cover letters are a disguised writing test. Candidates who end up getting invited for interviews recognise this early on. Making a good impression on paper is way harder than making a good impression in person.

Are many candidates ready to invest HOURS in writing the perfect cover letter? No. That's the whole point. That's how you can set yourself apart. If you spend enough time making sure that your letter is as impactful as it can be, you stand very high chances of getting invited for interviews.

Another reason that it can help to have a cover letter is to explain anything on your resume that may look unusual to a reviewer, such as a time gap or a non-traditional background for consulting. 

Whatever your unique situation is, if you’re not confident in how your cover letter looks today, then we can help you. 

Get an Ex-MBB consultant to review your cover letter

The guide above, in addition to our guide on  consulting resumes , should go a long way in helping you craft documents that will get you interviews. 

But if you still feel you need additional help, we have a team of ex-MBB recruiters and interviewers who would be happy to provide feedback on your cover letter.

You’ll get feedback on how to immediately improve your cover letter, including what experience to focus on, how to optimise your phrasing, formatting, etc.

Start by browsing profiles for available coaches.